Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 6:45 AM
Rev. Greg Lucey, the former president of Spring Hill College, will become president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. ?(Press-Register file/Mary Hattler)MOBILE, Ala. -- The Rev. Gregory F. Lucey gave his “Last Lecture” Monday night at Spring Hill College.
In a joking nod to students, faculty and staff, Lucey walked to the podium at Byrne Hall on campus wearing a boat captain’s hat, which drew loud laughter from the crowd.
His annual welcoming address to students, as Spring Hill’s president, Lucey would tell students they would have a “shipwreck” during their next four years in college.
Once behind the podium, the 77-year-old Lucey threw his hat into the crowd at Byrne Hall.
Lucey retired in 2009 after 12 years as Spring Hill’s 37th president.
He has been named president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is moving to Washington, D.C, in January. He will assume his new post June 30.
The idea behind the “Last Lecture” concept, which has become popular at college campuses, is to allow someone to speak one final time before the student body.
A native of Wisconsin and one of seven children, Lucey reflected on his parents during his speech, titled “Honor Your Mother and Father.”
Lucey recalled that in 1973 at age 40, he went into cardiac and pulmonary arrest and thought he was going to die. During his recuperation, he jotted down memories of his parents.
His father was a farmer who eventually operated a general store and a John Deere tractor business.
Lucey said it wasn’t unusual for his father to bring the homeless into their home for a meal or a place to sleep.
“I share my father’s story as a way of thanking him for this wonderful gift he gave me,” Lucey said.
He recalled the day he told his father he was going to become a priest. It was during the Korean War.
“He said, ‘Are you sure you aren’t avoiding the draft because of the Korean War?’” Lucey recalled. His father later said, “There is nothing I would rather have you do.”
Under Lucey’s 12-year-term, the school spent an estimated $100 million on renovation and construction projects.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.
No comments:
Post a Comment